The increasing number of Millennials and Gen Z favoring a plant-based diet has certainly impacted restaurant menus. Beach vacationers want options, and so do the coastal residents hosting friends and families this season. Savvy restaurants have taken note.
Green Man Juice Bar & Bistro is the OG of plant-based cuisine. The downtown Rehoboth restaurant opened in 2007, and there is now a Lewes location off Route 24. Many sandwiches are vegetarian, including the mushroom melt with Swiss and gruyere cheese on ciabatta bread. The restaurant is best known for breakfast dishes such as a vegetarian quiche with organic vegetables served with greens and fruit.
Try Seedbol Kitchen, formerly Seed Eatery, on Route 1 between Lewes and Rehoboth for to-go options. Bowls are the most popular item, and you can choose from composed dishes, such as the “RainBowl” with vegan egg salad, lemongrass rice noodles, brown rice and colorful vegetables, or build your own.
Grandpa Mac, also on Route 1, is another quick-casual concept with plant-based selections, including the vegan Caesar, vegan mac and “un-cheese” and a roasted mushroom panini. In Rehoboth,
Lori’s Café, another casual restaurant, has a veg section and a bounty of fresh salads.
Nectar, which has locations in downtown Lewes and Millsboro, is a full-service restaurant featuring a black bean burger and the Vedge, a healthy pile of vegetables, onion and mozzarella with pesto and balsamic glaze on ciabatta.
Somewhere Rehoboth is a hip restaurant with an expansive outdoor area. The trending menu is designed to cater to multiple preferences. Meat-eaters can indulge in a juicy smash burger, while vegetarians can savor an Impossible Burger. Even the taco varieties include options for veggie lovers.
To make decisions more manageable for people with allergies,
Big Fish Grill on Route 1 and in Ocean View have crafted menus for gluten-free, garlic-free, dairy-free, egg-free and shellfish-free customers — and there’s also a vegan menu.
As for ethnic eateries, Mariachi in Rehoboth Beach has a special vegetarian menu section that happily goes beyond rice and beans. Consider the garden quesadilla with cheese, mushrooms, poblano peppers, onions and tomatoes.
Indian culture has long embraced plant-based dishes, but the recent rise of vegetarianism in India is often credited to animal welfare concerns. Regardless of the reason, Raas in Lewes and Indigo in Rehoboth boast several meat-free options.
As for fine dining, Our Harvest focuses on artisanal ingredients, so fresh produce is a primary ingredient in many dishes. The paella, for instance, does not contain meat or seafood and cauliflower is covered in 11 herbs and spices, fried and served with hot sauce and vegan ranch dressing.
These eateries prove you can be a vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian — someone who integrates plant-based items into a diet — without sacrificing flavor.
